Mobile Suit Gundam 0079: Project Pyramid
by Zenith-Shadoe
Summary: Follow the adventures of the 34th African Squadron as they battle the Zeon forces in the land of the Pyramids!
1. Default Chapter

Mobile Suit Gundam: The One Year in 0079: Project Pyramid

----African Veldt

The _GM_ shuddered as it fell into a heap on the dusty ground. The _Gouf_, more than a match for it, strode over and pointed a 75mm finger gun at the GM's nostril zone in a standard gunfire fashion.

"Feddy moron," the _Gouf_ pilot sneered. 

Now if this battle were in Daisuke's favor, he'd be fighting off a _Zaku F Type _in an _E Type GM_, in space, with backup and more than 5 rounds in his 90mm. However, he was on the ground in an _E Type GM_, against a _Gouf B Type_, with out backup and 4 rounds in 90mm. _Not fun_, he thought. Fortunately, the cocky Zeon jack-ace forgot that his head was still pointed at his cockpit and that he had yet to run out of vulcan ammo.

Daisuke snickered. He opened fire at the _Gouf's_ mono-eye and disabled it, then peppered the cockpit with 60mm bullets. From such close range, none of the bullets missed and punched clean through. The gaudy blue MS fell backwards, blood oozing from the wounds as if it were alive.

"Hey Chief!" called Janet Burai, the sonar operator. "You all right?"

"I think so. The suit's seen better days though," Daisuke replied, sitting his mobile suit up. Bullet dents, burns and all manner of other atrocities had been committed on the poor space use _GM_ since it had set foot on African soil, but had proved it's usefulness in light of the newer _GM Ground Types_. Even so, it was in no condition to battle for a long time. "Get the truck, Janet."

Back at the base camp, in the command tent, the Colonel rose and regally walked out to the incoming truck. "You're Daisuke Mafuni, correct?"

"Depends on who wants to know," Daisuke replied, not turning around.

"Watch your mouth Sergeant. You don't want to get demoted so quickly, do you?"

"What do you mean demoted-AH!" Daisuke snapped to attention as he recognized the Colonel. "Sir! Forgive me, sir!"

The Colonel grimaced. _If this is the best ready_ GM _pilot here, we're in trouble..._ "You're being reassigned."

"Reassigned sir?" Daisuke asked, quite readily confused. "Chief, we haven't finished up here yet."

The Colonel ignored the lack of procedure and responded in an even more military tone. "We have your team scheduled to make your attack at 0230 tomorrow. Be back and ready to ship out to Egypt by 0800."

Daisuke shot all military procedure to hell. "WHAT?! You expect me to get that pile of junk fixed in four hours and then SHIP OUT?!"

The colonel thought for a second, then nodded. Daisuke felt his heart sink into his stomach. "You're trying to kill be aren't you?" he probed, voice cracking slightly. "That _GM_ versus a bunch of Zeeks holed up in their camp? Send Tango Squadron for that, they've got those _Gundam_ Classes over there."

"Speak of the devil," the Colonel noted as a _Midea's_ engines roared overhead. Daisuke merely raised an eyebrow.

----Federation Central Africa base, MS hanger, 20 minutes later. 

Technical Officer Nanaki looked to the giant camouflaged tarpaulin in front of him. He pondered briefly what it could be, but shook it off as the Colonel and Sergeant Mafuni entered. He saluted, and walked over. "Uh, sir, what exactly is that?" 

The Colonel smiled a rather demonic grin. "That is our scare tactic." Nanaki's face contorted into a mix of wonder and confusion. The camo netting was removed and both Nanaki and Daisuke's eyes widened. There before them was none other than the _RX-78 Gundam_. Light glinted off the white Luna Titanium armor that comprised most of the mobile suit's semi-monocoque body. The eyes glowed with a brilliance that struck fear into the heart of any Zeon soldier. 

"Goddamnit. They forgot to fix it up!" the Colonel snarled. By now a crowd had gathered to look at the pride of the Federal Forces, but the next thing that happened shocked everyone. Except for the Colonel. 

The Gundam raised its arms and placed them on its head, then unceremoniously tore it off. Most of the crowd either fainted or looked about ready to. The Colonel came to the front and addressed the crowd. 

"GET LOST!" The crowd dispersed. 

"You techies have four hours to get it combat ready and to the specifications in the manual," he barked. The techies scurried away, eager to fiddle with the strongest MS the Federation had to offer. The Colonel pointed to Daisuke. "And you! Hit the sack!" Daisuke saluted happily and marched off.

0200 finally came and Daisuke stumbled out to the MS bay. Nothing could prepare him for what he was about to see though. Expecting to see, maybe, a _GM_ headed _Gundam_ or something odd like that, his eyes were greeted by yellow, blue, and gold. Much to his disdain, the poor lovely _Gundam_ had suffered a crippling injury, that of the most hideous paintjob he had ever seen and the replacement of it's head. 

As for the head, something was dreadfully, horribly, terribly wrong. The face was stretched like a dog's and wore a head-dress with a snake as a V-fin instead of the helmet-like apparatus worn by most normal "White Ghosts." 

Nanaki rushed up. "Well? What do you think?" 

"I think I'm going to kill you for making me go out in that hideous piece of crap." 

"Not so fast, Sgt.," the Colonel's booming voice echoed. "I ordered it." 

"Oh, so I kill you instead. You call that a scare tactic?" Daisuke sniped. 

"It is when I inform you of your next mission, now shut up and get out." 

Daisuke took a second to seethe at his commanding officer, then headed towards the door. 

The Colonel looked at his watch for a second, before Daisuke's footsteps, now more rapid, went past, with a quick "I knew that, it's just early," as a goodbye.

-----0230, the Zeon base camp 

Daisuke flipped a few random switches as part of his crash course of _RX-78 Gundam_ piloting and stood the suit up. Ensign Kiver and Ensign Zack were on his flanks and Janet reported in. There was a trench covered by an _MS-06 Zaku II_ with a 175mm cannon backpack, and a one-armed _Old Zaku_ with a Raketen bazooka and a heat hawk. The third unit was a _Gouf_, now collecting soil and dung beetles on the veldt. 

"Shouldn't be too much trouble, right Sgt.?" Kiver called in. 

"Don't count 'em out yet, Kiver. They may have backup," Daisuke reprimanded. 

Janet called in. "Sir, I'm reading a group of _Magella Attack Tanks_ closing in from the west. What do we do?" 

"Told you, Kiver. Janet, go pester those _Magellas_. Kiver, Zack, get the cannoner. I'm on the _Old Zaku_." 

"ROGER!" was the unanimous reply. 

Major Klaus Steiner snapped awake as hit mobile suit's alarm system went off. He quickly scanned the area, noting two _Ground Type GMs _and… well, it was probably a _Space Use GM_. He leveled his Raketen bazooka at the nearest suit, locked on, and fired. The Federal MS jumped sideways and used its machine gun to send the rocket swerving toward the trench, where it impacted in the trench. Equipment and personnel flew out and Steiner immediately felt a pang of guilt. He berated himself for firing the bazooka so close to the trench. _Well, I suck with heavy weapons anyway. _

Kiver turned his attention to the _Zaku Fix-Cannon_ and fired his 100mm. The _Zaku_ deflected the shells with his shield, refitted from his shoulder to his hand, and shot at Zack with his cannon. Zack's _GM_ raised its buckler-style shield, but the sheer force of the shot sent the red-bodied MS flying to the sand.

Daisuke looked over to see Zack suck sand, and turned back to his rifle camera. The twin cross-hairs centered on the _Old Zaku's _chestplate, and Daisuke considered whether he should go for a kill or reactor breach. _Ah, devil may care_. He hit the firing stud and a stream of supercharged mega-particles lanced out toward the _Old Zaku_. The _Zaku_ torso-twisted and the beam sped past, striking the _Magellas_ behind them. "Uh, Janet? You all right?"

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" was the immediate reply.

"Sorry." 

The _Zaku_ was also rather startled, and it's mono-eye scrolled towards him, to the burning _Magellas_ and back to him. It turned and gave him the "Thousand-Yard-Glare," in which the _Zaku_ bowed slightly and blew steam out it's front vents while keeping it's mono-eye dead-centered on the target. The effect was unnerving to any Federal Forces pilot, or infantry or artillery for that matter, since the _Zaku_ looked hell-pissed to anyone within a thousand yards in viewing range. Daisuke had a particular adversity to the Thousand-Yard-Glare, personally, and even in his _Gundam_, this was no exception. 

The mono-eye glowed pink to red to yellow before it opened fire again, further creeping Daisuke out. The shell hit dead on, knocking the mighty Gundam to the dirt. 

Steiner threw the empty bazooka aside and retrieved his heat hawk. The _Old Zaku_ drew closer as the Federal suit pulled a beam saber and sat up. The carnation glow illuminated the lithe blue and yellow torso of the MS and Steiner's confidence hit rock bottom. _Oh, it was a Space Use MS but it was the _GM's _big brother, the _Gundam_!_ Steiner looked to the beam saber held by the dog-faced MS and back to his humming heat hawk and gulped hard. 

"BASE! This is Steiner! We've got a _Gundam_ class out here!" he yelled into his comms system. He blocked an oncoming slash with one of his own and continued. "Call Egypt Squadron number 8! Tell them that they're probably the next target for this yellow son of a bitch!" 

Kiver steadied his _GM_ as another 175 mm howitzer shell punctured his heavy shield and snapped it off at the cross. He fired as fast as he could, snapping conduction cables and chipping off armor left and right. The _Zaku_ fell and lay still as Kiver reloaded. Zack limped over and looked at the fallen green machine. Kiver joined him and both waited for the _Zaku_ to move. 

"I think I killed him..." Kiver noted. Suddenly the mono-eye lit up and both MS jerked back. The _Zaku_ peeled off a single shot before Kiver emptied all 28 rounds of his 100mm into it's gut. He looked to Zack's suit. The cockpit was crushed and a trickle of blood was flowing down the skirt and leg armor. "Ah Zack... dammit." 

He grabbed the spare magazines from Zack's _GM_ and went over to help Janet and Grisham with the _Magellas_. 

Daisuke looked over to see Zack get killed but almost got hawked for his trouble. The Zeek was damn good in close range, that much was certain. He thumbed the vulcan switch and looked to the readout on either side of the head. He saw only a pair of ancient Egyptian styled eyes. 

"What the?" The eyes lit up and flashed. He hit the switch out of curiosity and a light flashed. The _Old Zaku_ hit the ground, almost as if he had been shot by a tiny beam cannon. 

"Cool," was the only word that came to Daisuke's mind. 

"Surrender! You're defeated!" Daisuke boomed over the loudspeaker. 

"Fine, whatever you say! Oh god, I think my eyes are bleeding..." moaned Steiner. 

Steiner popped the hatch of his _Old Zaku_ and stepped out, and found himself looking down the barrel of a beam rifle. "Holy--" He looked up and saw the dog shaped head of the _RX-78-7 Anubis Gundam_, as the startup menu of the golden MS declared it. 

"Ok, fine, take the base," he said, more than a little intimidated by the god-styled Federal suit. 

"Finally. KIVER! Quit playing with those _Magellas_ so we can ship out! Let's get these prisoners out of here and get back." 

"Sir!" Janet called. "We're already way behind schedule! We'll have to call in a transport team to make up for it!" 

Daisuke keyed in the number for the transport and capture team and waited patiently.


	2. "My God. They are trying to kill us..."

In the _Midea_ transport, Steiner sat, a recoilless rifle at his head, a tired looking Fed next to him. He poked the rifle's barrel and it slid in then popped back out. Steiner grinned inwardly. He had heard that these Federal popguns had a tendency to jam if played around with enough. 

_Well, it's playtime for the Gray Vampire_, he thought. He pushed the rifle in and turned it slightly, not enough to notice but enough for the barrel to jam. The guard got annoyed and scooted over, but Steiner would not relent in his pestering. Finally the guard's nerves gave in and he calmly stood up. 

"You stupid Zeon son of a bitch." He raised the rifle and fired. The gun exploded and shrapnel slashed him to ribbons. 

"Who's the stupid SOB now?" Steiner grabbed a handgun and hopped out of the pickup truck on cement blocks that constituted the "Ace Brig." 

He looked out the window and saw a faint outline of a _Gau Assault Carrier_ below them. He grabbed a helmet and vernier pack, along with a pair of RPGs in the weapon's racks. He fired it off and hit the cockpit, killing the crew in a brilliant blossoming explosion. The hatches began to open as Steiner had predicted and felt himself get sucked out into the clear blue sky. As the hatches were shut by a cinder block hitting the control panel, Steiner saw a Zeon grunt get pulled back in by his comrades and waved. He maneuvered to the top of the _Gau_ and shot a hole in the roof and slipped in as patch film was deployed. He removed his helmet as the other Zeon soldiers looked at him in amazement. 

"Damn, sir, that's a hell of an entrance."

"Uh sir? What's going to happen to the Midea prisoners?" 

Steiner waved a hand. "The box will drop and they'll maneuver to the Airbase we're headed to." 

"The box, sir?" 

Steiner rolled his eyes. "Yes, the box." A _Midea Transport_ was built differently than the _Gunperry_ class ships. Instead of unfolding and releasing the mobile suits, the hatches in back opened, and the mobile suits dropped. The _Midea_ was equipped with a detachable "box" with could be dropped for a less vulnerable landing, but more preparations were required and was less cost effective. The box was equipped with parachutes and verniers to ensure the relative safety of the occupants. 

"Now come on, soldier, prepare for landing."

-------------Zeon African Airfield 1 

The _Midea Box_ and the _Gau _had landed safely and unloaded and Steiner had reported in the accounts of his battle. He stepped out into the sweltering heat of the noon sun over the sandy cement and went to the remaining Federal Forces officer. "Some heat huh?" 

"Yeah." 

"So...what are you planning to attack next?" he asked, expecting a Federal version of a "Seig Zeon." 

"It's the 8th Egypt Squadron in Giza," came the flat reply. 

"Was that intentional?" 

"What's it to you if I tell the plans?" 

"You're an enemy officer?" 

"I'm a POW. It doesn't make any difference. I'm sick of this damn war." The officer stood. 

"Don't you feel you're fighting for a worthy cause?" 

"I used to..." the officer said, walking past. "Now I just don't know." And with that, he disappeared into the dust.

-------Inside the _Gunperry_ approaching Zeon African 1

Daisuke slept, remembering the events of the One Week Battle. The apex of the assault by the Zeon had been reached and the Federal Forces were turning tail. The colony booster was activated and had reached the point of no return. Stationed on atmospheric defense in a _Jet Core Booster_, he had rushed the colony. He opened fire with his cannons and fired his rockets, to no avail. The colony pieces were flying off and Daisuke dodged madly. He locked the controls to the _JCB_ and ejected. The colony booster took the hit and part of it exploded sending the colony off course toward Australia. Daisuke's parachute unfurled and he began to drift until a piece of shrapnel caught him in the stomach. Everything went black then and then gray as his eyes caught the cold metal interior of the _Gunperry_. He sighed slightly, remembering the frighteningly beautiful day when the colony dropped.

"What kind of supreme being would allow such irony?" he wondered aloud.

Kiver threw a sideways glance at his commander over his reading glasses, looking up quickly from his book. "You all right there, Sarge?"

"I seen better days," he said, leaning back. His grey eyes nearly matched the interior. Kiver rolled his jade oculars and pushed his reading glasses back up. He twisted a finger idly around his brown front locks.

"Knock it off, Kiver, you remind of that Zeek the _Gundam_ shot down when you do that."

"Sorry."

The alarm blared, shattering the silence like so much glass. Daisuke and Kiver rushed into the cabin. "The hell's goin' on here?!" they shouted in unison. 

The pilot turned to them. "Our orders are drop you here." 

"You are, of course, aware that we're right on top of a Zeon Airbase?" 

"That's the idea," said the pilot, swinging his arm a bit. 

Kiver turned to Daisuke. "My god, they are trying to kill us." 

"I don't like this…." 

Daisuke steadied his machine from the wire guided missile that had struck it. "I REALLY DON'T LIKE THIS!" 

"You and me both, brother," Kiver agreed, blasting a _Dopp_ as it began to lift off. 

Steiner rushed into the hanger, explosions roaring behind him. "Tell me you've got a mobile suit here! A _Zaku_, hell, even one of those prototype Dum things!"

"It's called a _Dom_, thank you, Mjr. Steiner, and furthermore I…" Steiner dashed past him and swung around the corner to see none other than an _RGM-79G_ standing before him. He stopped and looked around. 

"I'll take it." 

"Hey 'Suke! Look! It's a _GM_!" Kiver called out as the Federal Suit left the hanger. 

"What the hell…?" Daisuke wondered aloud. His answer came in the form of a spray of 100mm shells striking his yellow suit. 

_Ok, so that's the fire button… that's the dash…where's the close combat button?_ Steiner thought as the _Anubis_ backed away. _Maybe this one?_

"Hey Daisuke! That's Zack's _GM_! See, they haven't cleaned the blood off yet!" 

"Yeah, I gathered," Daisuke snapped, pulling a beam saber from his backpack. 

"Oh hell, I remember this part..." Steiner moaned, frantically searching for the beam saber trigger. He found it, as evidenced by the leg lock sliding open and the plugs connecting. He heard the hiss of plasma being injected into the I-field, then the beam saber coming around to the view screen. Steam hissed from the vents of both MS, as the pilots prepared to duel.


	3. Whoa. And "Whoa" Again

Part 3

----------Giza, Egypt, Great Pyramid Base

Commander Rama Nasar, known to the world as the "Midnight Screamer," picked up his radio.

"Nasar here, go."

"This is Major Klaus Steiner, formerly of the 7th African Division!" came the garbled harried transmission. "We're under attack by a _Gundam_ class Federal Forces Mobile Suit at the First Zeon Airbase!"

"You mean like the _Gundams_ that Packard and his troops are fighting in Southeast Asia?"

"No sir! This is a _Gau_-killer here, the 'White Ghost' himself!"

"What? The one that killed Master Garma?" He thought that the "Trojan Horse" was in Belfast at the moment, and that the "Red Comet" Captain Char was attacking them with the new amphibious MS now. 

"No, it's a different one, I--" the transmission broke as a slash and hiss was heard. "Shit! Sir, he took my arm!" 

"Get out of there, you moron! We need every soldier, remember?!"

"I'm ejecting, and I'll grab a _Dopp_ that's left."

"Roger, I'll send some cover for you."

"Thanks!" He signed off and blew the hatch. Curling into a ball, he rolled into the _Dopp's_ waiting cockpit and launched. The _Gau_ that he had landed in turned its anti-aircraft guns to the Federal Suits and opened fire, creating a diversion for the "Gray Vampire." 

Kiver's head slammed against his seat as his mobile suit was rocked by thousands of shells. He ducked behind a small hanger and fired back. "I hate _Gau's_, I really do..." He raised his new shield and charged forward. 

Daisuke saw the _Dopp_ launch out of the corner of his eye and it was already out of range. He growled and blasted the _Gau_ to make up for it, and the _Gau _exploded. 

"I can't believe we missed that _Dopp_, man!" Daisuke continued to obsess after the smoke had cleared. 

"Shit happens, sir." 

----------Approaching Giza 

Steiner switched on his radio. "Steiner to 8th Egyptian Squadron, come in 8th Egyptian Squadron." 

"This is Nasar, Gray Vampire, you're clear for entry." 

"Roger that Midnight Screamer, over and out," Steiner hung up, smirking. "Midnight Screamer, what kinda name is that?" He looked out and counted the pyramids, just to refresh his memory. _There's an extra?_ He was shocked to see it split and reveal an airstrip beneath the sand. _Ingenious...Feds would never look there..._

Upon landing, he was warmly greeted by Nasar. The frosted blonde Zeon ace had heard of the "Midnight Screamer," but was shocked to see him in person. Steiner was no small man, 6'3" and of lithe build, but Nasar looked down to speak eye to eye. Often he was said to be a copy of Dozle Zabi, if not merely in stature, all leadership abilities aside. 

"I've got something that I think will be a lot more effective then that _Old Zaku_ you piloted," Nasar said with a grin, teeth gleaming in the sunlight. 

There in the hanger stood an _MS-07C-5_, the missing link between the _Gouf_ and the _Dom_. 

"Whoa." 

"We've re-out-fitted it with lighter weapons, none built in yet, but just you wait." 

"With what?" 

"We're working on shoulder machine guns, torso holstered machine pistols and a pair of 90mm semi-autos." 

"Close combat?" 

Nasar got that glint in his eye as he motioned Steiner to follow. 

------------Federal Forces Base, Egyptian Front

Technical Officer Nanaki dashed into the hangar to see his "baby," the _Anubis Gundam_. He nearly shrieked when he saw the dents and dings in it but the real killer was the way that Daisuke was applying a layer of paint thinner in an attempt to, in his eyes, make it more sightly. 

"Drop that thinner now!" Nanaki yelled. Daisuke lost his balance and nearly fell off the shoulder, but managed to keep on. 

"Are you color blind!? This thing is hideous!"

"I don't care! It's my baby!"

"It's my suit!"

"I worked on her!"

Kiver stepped over in his _Desert GM_, and set them straight. "SHUT UP!"

"Nice pants, Kiver," said Daisuke, snickering a bit. The inverted _Cold Climate GM's_ entire torso was covered in a cloak, dust colored, as a means of distraction and extra protection. It also served to keep the suit cooler. 

"Hey don't knock it till you try it. This thing is LOADED."

"With what?" 

"I can carry two machine guns at the same time and there are holsters and ammo clips all over the interior." 

"So you've got guns all over?" 

"Small arms mostly, but our new guy handles the heavy stuff."

"Who's the new guy?"

"I don't know..."

"That'd be me," said a new voice. It emanated from a man in a torn Federal uniform with a duffel bag over his shoulder. "My name's Tarin Blackburn, demolition expert. I was part of the jetpack squadron when the Zeeks first attacked." The others cringed, hearing this. The jetpack squadrons no longer existed, due to the enormous amount of casualties inflicted by the Zeon Mobile Suits. 

"Well, where's your suit, boy?" Daisuke asked.

"And don't let numbnuts over here touch it," Kiver added pointing to Nanaki. "Look what he did to a perfectly good _RX-78_!"

"Shut up!"

"You made it the ugliest thing in the universe!" Daisuke hollered.

"I don't care if you don't like the colors!" 

"It's not that I don't like them, I HATE THEM!"

"SHUT UP!" Tarin yelled. "Buncha kids..."

"You still haven't told us what your suit is, Tarin," Kiver groaned, attempting to block out Nanaki and Daisuke's arguing.

"It's a _Guncannon_. _RX-77D_."

"Whoa! You're the heavy support, huh?" 

"I've outfitted it with the standard cannons and it carries twin bazookas, along with a pair of machine guns locked onto the waist armor as backup."

"Whoa! Again," Kiver noted. "It appears that Daisuke's _Anubis_ is the only suit that's not seemingly overloaded with weaponry."

"Well, I don't like to brag," said Daisuke, leaving his 'conversation' for a moment. "But I am the melee suit."

"Zeon heat weapons are crap, Sarge," Nanaki interjected. "Anyone can beat a _Zaku _heat hawk if they've got a beam saber."

"Ok, what about those blue ones, Goofs?"

"_Goufs_, Daisuke. _Goufs_."

"Whatever."

Then suddenly alarm blared and the three pilots' hearts raced. 

"Did the Zeons actually get this far in with out us knowing?" Tarin thought aloud.

"Who cares? Let's get moving!" Kiver yelled, sliding into his suit.

"Sir!" The 34th Egyptian Team headed out.


End file.
